Journey to D'zeron Section 14: Dream marriage
Journey To D'zeron 1dream marriage notes old (notes from file of ch introducing marriage night)***chapter needs entirely redone. these notes have some value, but this chapter is basically combined with the dream marriage, since other group dreaming activities are moved to after the wedding. *** after the town meeting, because Jason is no longer sick but Serai is not married to him, D’neira will not allow Serai to stay in the temple with him that night the temple is locked at night, so there is no way Serai could get back in and be in Jason’s room. He knows he has made the right choice, that he wasn’t ready yet, but on the other hand Jason Desperately misses her and has a hard time caring about anything else in the dream plane. he realizes he can’t go on not being married to her and still be able to do his job as a negotiator. the passion is too distracting both when they are together and when he is apart from her. He is very upset by the shaming he receives from the village, disappointed that he had not been married to Serai at the village meeting. (in the long run this is a good thing, he realizes this because he does not want to become entirely a larger than life hero in the village, and making Serai wait one more day helps prevent them from becoming quite the legend they otherwise would have been. and as soon as they are married, and word goes around before he sees any of the villagers….he is declared by them fully a man for having not been able to wait for the ceremony, and they have a less formal and more personal regard for him because he showed himself vulnerable in this way. Serai, however, is raised to the status of dreamkeeper because of her demonstration of dream traveling. at the meeting, he was the guy who was so rational he could even reject Serai (superhuman rationality…very alien) so they are very pleased he has proved himself only human afterall. and he is pleased by the acceptance he gains through this. ******* ****** ***************** (after being shown Serai’s house and students, and introduced to Tark and perhaps Perry and his duties as a forager) Jason is then sent home to his room in the temple. He spends a few hours there alone just playing his guitar and thinking things through. When Chathalen comes in later he asks about Serai, and is told that D’neira sent her home, saying it was not appropriate for her to sleep with him in the temple when they are not married and he does not need her caretaking. ***write this part*** Jason frowns but I do need her caretaking. Chathalen might understand, but Jason decided not to say it. “D’neira understands how you feel about making your own decision and she knows how persuasive Serai is. She is giving you time alone to separate the thoughts of your mind from the thoughts of your body and the persuasions of the weaver. I’ll leave you to your thoughts now. Get some rest.” “Chathalen?” The young healer turned back, pausing at the doorway “if I change my mind now, will Serai come stay with me tonight?” Chathalen laughed. “No.The temple doors automatically lock until the setting of Aisses, there is no way in or out until morning, except through dreams.” Dreams. Alone in the temple Jason looked up through the sky-light broodingly.'' I could climb it easily…could I break through the glass? Is it even really glass?'' He shook his head to clear away the thoughts, realizing that destroying this ancient building was not a reasonable response to his temporary incarceration. D’neira was wise to force this upon him, if he was irrational enough to consider breaking out of the temple. Serai deserves a sensible, patient mature man for her husband, not a crazy fool mad with passion, He smiled, thinking of the very matter-of-fact, stern old Matriarch. What I want is not always what I need. '' '' Dreams. the only way out. Lying down on the bed, surrounded by dream-stone glittering like starlight in the blue light of Aisis, he fell asleep, remembering dream serpents holding him captive, and as he had then cried out to Harris, he now cried out to Serai with his whole soul, feeling torn apart, needing to be with her. The part of him taken by Quetzal each time he burned to ash was less part of him than she was now. At this thought, his dream-form faded, he sought the wind, and then remembered that wind could not enter the temple. he felt the power of the dreamstone walls around him, the portal which was basically the dream of this temple itself. but he did not want to eter the dream plane, he only wanted out of this constraining portal. Serai. I need you. and walked out through the skylight following the beams of Aisis-light, seeking to be whole. outside the temp-le, the blue mist swirls arround him like quetzals flames, ad a second field of mist seems to srig from within it…the dream form of his passion for Serai. I will find you. We are one No temple of stone or dreams can keep us apart. ****set this apart in a separate mini-chapter***??? She hears him calling in dream, not to the portal but someplace else, where dream keepers have no authority. she reaches back seeking, takes his hand as he reaches for her formless. She stands without form in a place which is not a place, holds him close, wrapped up in him, silent, each of them a formless patch of aises-blue mist, merging becoming one and for a moment instantaneous and eternal she is him or he is her and she does not know or care which because all that exists is their unity. It ends too soon. ****** * Jason dreamed that he awakened in the temple to her find perching like a butterfly at the edge of his bed, shining in rainbow colored light. Her glittering wings flutter slightly and his whole being pulses with their every vibration. they are a silent song, and join into one wave, one vibration, He sits, his face very close to hers. She is light. She fills the room, surrounding him, enveloping him completely. Nothing else exists,. “You are my husband,” she whispers, as if casting a spell of enchantment to entrap him….he realize that he light does not shine upon him, he is light, he is the same light. '' D’neira locks us apart and yet we are together. What is truely one cannot be put assunder'' She speaks, silently but the words are clear and in her voice “…you will share my journey through this life wherever it may lead us, and we will extend our linage through eternity.” “No.” He shakes his head. She knows he does not mean to reject her, only to clear his thoughts. The more he tries the more he unsure he feels. What is right? What is real? You are too right to be real. This is only a dream. Am I dreaming alone or are we really sharing this dream, like last night? Was it really only last night? Was that real? ''His mind reels in confusion, He feels backed into a corner, like she is trying to steal his soul. But he wants her; needs her; she is perfect. She is destiny. She cannot be denied. '' Who am I? it is not his voice nor hers now both together, which speaks the silent words it is the voice us the unity which binds them, an entity which by being both loses all of each ad becomes something greater. '' He shuts his eyes and turns from her, terrified, needing, her breath warm on his face, the scent of her, she smells of life of love of the forest’s wonder and beauty, of D’zeron’s quiet order. Her light reaches through him past closed eyes and held him like the fire serpents except she sooths, she doesn’t burn. She is the universe, and him. Her light-scent-sound-warmth-presence on every level possesses him. The more he loses himself in her, the more he feels at peace. He cannot think, there is no sense to be made of it. Her brown curls brush his cheek, lips touch his, soft and warm and real, he tastes her, hears her quiet breathing and his own heart racing faster every time she touches him, whether with lips or light or sound or scent or presence. But Jason’s rational mind hangs on, desperately clinging. ''Everything must be…must be…thought through and understood. I can’t relax, can’t let passion rule me. too soon, too sudden. Not right.Not real, '' is it?'' '' Just a dream.'' '' She is all sensual and nonsensical. The more he tries to make sense, the more he feels confused. “It is a in really a dream, Jason, and I am completely real, You called me to dream with you, so I am here, in this dream, with you. ''This is a dream, but not just a dream. Shared dream at least. She’s locked away outside the temple gates until morning, She’s sleeping on the other side of the village, yet here she is, speaking, feeling, touching, fully aware and accountable. What we agree in dream will still be agreed tomorrow. Serai will remember and so will I. She dreams of me the same dream I dream of her. I can’t indulge without consequence. this is not like fantasies I had of her in Kansas before I knew that she really existed here.. This is not physical, but nonetheless this is very really real. '' '' “''What must I do to court you Jason? How is it done in your world?” Her wings melt away and the rainbow silk of her dress poured down over her body pooling liquidly around him in the Aisis light of the temple skylight. His feels arms surround her and draw her close and warm though his brain is frozen, shivering, stunned unable to move or breath or think, then the soft touch of her hand brushing across his face brings him back suddenly, smoothly to clear awareness. “Dream with me Serai. I will show you my world” and She lay receptive in his arms, sleeping, dreaming. 2Invitation “Your scheming begins to bear fruit, Old Man,” “leave me alone, Quetzal” “Your grandson is getting married tonight. Will you witness?” “No, Quetzal, release me. Let me die in peace.” “Let me help you.” “No, Quetzal” “Stop me then” Sen’tran woke, and carefully erased all memory of the dream. 3 dream scene JAson imagining marriage with Serai They travel together down the river Sh’harn in his boat. The journey is quick, and uneventful, ad wonderful because they are together which makes every sight sound smell sensation and song of the forest glorious. They climb down the cliff, and camp beside the waterfall. It is magnificent, and so is the ocean. They are creatures of the forest, they swim together in the waterfall, skyclad, like dolphins. He wants her, and his passion is undeniable, he knows hers to be the same and yet somehow, miraculously, they choose to wait, owning greater miracles which surely await them. In the morning Anton meets them at the island in the Flacon space taxi. He raves about how excited he is to see Jason again and how beautiful Serai is and how fun it was to cross the ocean on the Falcon alone. Sylvia is with him, she greets them with robotic enthusiasm. Serai finds it all wonderful, and Jason experiences the wonder of it all through her eyes, all that he never saw before through his pride and terror, He gives it to her, and she gives it back to him glorified.. The journey to Earth is long but they are together, and happy. They are welcomed into the community of the Marrion Jay. This part is vague because Jason knows little of Paragangian culture. But Serai makes every effort to get to know everyone, their customs and their relationships, so everyone welcomes both of them together. Over and over she takes him to the limits of his experience, where he is again forced to remember that this is just a dream, ad feel at the edge of his awareness his body, I the temple alone crying tears of frustration, tears of gratitude, but mostly tears of love for Serai. He is not showing her his world so much as she is showing him how much he missed. She owns his world, and wants more. With her, he marvels and wants more too, longs for it with her. Time passes like real time. He savors each moment with her knowing she’ll be his forever. Several months later they arrive at his home in Kansas. She immediately bonds with Gloria and they embark together on several ambitious but whimsical art projects, more amazing in the combining of their skills than each was alone. Jason and Jonathan catch each other up on Jason’s journey and the events of the university in his absence. will get messages later which verify the truth of that news Jason buys her a diamond ring, and proposes to her, and she accepts. He places the ring on her finger, and she shows it to everyone. Invitations are sent and plans made and Gloria and Serai design dresses and cakes and decorations. Even Jason and Jonathan join joyfully in the creation of the celebration. 4minichapter serai and Rae 90x3 minichapter Rae and Serai *** Detail this scene from POV Serai ***The night before the wedding Rae comes to visit from HomeWorld. It is oddly vivid and realistic. “My companion offers his regrets” she tells Jason. “he will not see you again” Though she does not know him, Serai cries, knowing he is really dying, and someone Jason cared deeply about. She seeks to comfort Jason, and realizes he does not realize that this is real, does not that Rae is not a sprite but is truly there in the dream plane. Rae hugs her, smiling. “He has called me forth, but he will not receive me. it’s ok Honey. He doesn’t need to know. When he is ready to understand, he will. But I will tell you. Your child will be a Chosen One. I’ve come through dreams by Quetzal’s power to convey her spirit here to you.“ “Chosen? chosen for what?” “When you come to HomeWorld, I will explain everything.” 5 the wedding and the awakening 90x4 the wedding and the awakening. ***detail this part***they are married in a traditional way for Americans. Rae is present at the ceremony, and it is conducted by Quetzal in the form of a minister there are several actual witnesses who are not dream sprites….Tersh would be there also…. He will suddenly appear right before the ceremony, he will walk Serai down the Aisle and be gone afterwards. Tersh will also bring Harris, Chathalen, and D’neira for the wedding Then it is the wedding night. He carries her over the threshold ***of what room??***according to the tradition and they are about to go to bed when she says “this cannot be a dream Jason, this can only be real” [word this better the dream begins to fade away “No Serai! Don’t leave me alone! Not now, I need you!” He cries out to her through the bodiless dream-space where they are joined with no form, where Quetzal in the form of the minister is laughing his evil fire-serpent laugh, and Jason I desperation cries out the words of the D’zeron mating contract, knowing this will make them really married, it is only his refusal to choose her that has kept them apart. “Serai, you are my wife, we will share this life together no matter what world we find ourselves thrown into and you will be the mother of my children.” She joyfully receives him. Form returns, and he is not aware of dreaming or waking, has no awareness but the moment of being with her in her unified making love to his wife for the first time, blissful and passionate and a little awkward sometimes but very very real and physical, and Falling asleep in her arms he dreams sweet dreams of living with her on earth, teaching together at the university, expecting their first child. Then Rae visits his dream again. She says “D’zeron is waiting for you.” He replies “No, let them wait” but awakens sleepily into Serai’s arms, pleased to find he is not fully awake, not alone in the temple where he went to sleep but still dreaming, still with his beautiful wife, knowing without a doubt, they are married now. Silently savoring the dream he makes love with her again, then asks wistfully “How long can a dream go on Serai? how long can this dream not end? because even though I know in the morning this dream will become reality, I don’t want to let go of you here to wake alone in the temple, and have to run to where you are to be back in your arms again. Dreams are so different here. I wish this dream would never end and we could stay just like this forever.” She frowned, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes, speaking very gently. “We ''are together, Jason. This'' is'' real.” She looked very concerned, but he replied before that fact registered. “I know Dreams are real here. And we’ll be married in D’zeron in the morning too, but….” “It is morning Jason” she whispered. She kissed him very lightly as if trying not to wake him, and when he looked into her eyes again, they welled with tears. He leaned up over her in alarm. “Serai, what’s wrong?” “Rae said you didn’t know she was really here. I should have realized.’ Sobbing, She outlined his face softly as if afraid to touch him, afraid he would disappear. “My love, I’m so sorry. Have I taken advantage of you un-knowingly? Can you not feel the difference between dreams and waking? I thought destiny had been sufficiently proved to ease your fears. Have you still not freely chosen me? Have I taken you without consent, as you feared I might?” “No! I have chosen you!” Why can’t I wake? He looked around for Quetzal, and in the greenish early morning light saw only his room in the temple, just as he had left it. “Serai! Why are you doubting me? Of course I want you. I will be your husband in this life and give you children. You are my wife. As soon as I wake, as soon as the temple opens, I’ll be with you. What’s wrong?” They were married in the dream world, he couldn’t imagine not being part of her in any world, cursed himself for spoiling the dream, wanted to wake, to end this dream turned night mare and run to her, be with her in reality. he shook his head. why can’t I wake? “We are awake, Jason.” She caressed his face, hoping to calm him, watching his pale blue-grey Irises lighten, his pupils constricted to tiny dark points in the soft light of morning. ”I am here.” “That’s not possible. The temple is locked and it was still dark and you were here. No.You are home at your farm. We are dreaming this together. But it doesn’t matter. Dreams are real. You are mine in every world, and I am yours. That’s all that matters.” He stared at her, eyes widening, jumped back and pulled the blanket up around him. “You’re not really Serai! Serai would never try to confuse me with these lies. What are you? Are you a dream creature, like Quetzal?” Quetzals gleeful laugh echoed in Jason’s head as he spoke the name. “Or is this just a nightmare?” “Jason, Love, of course it’s not a nightmare! How could it be a night mare if we’re together?” She snuggled closer, holding him close, trying to calm him, but that just increased his agitation. “It’s not a dream, Jason! I am right here with you, really! I love you. You know I would never lie to you.” she realized as she said this that he had just said the same thing of her, and that was the reason for his fear. Reluctantly, she let him go, and he drew away terrified “I understand you’re confused.” she went on trying to reassure him “I traveled here through the dream plane to be with you because you needed me enough to make it possible. Dream travel is rare but it can happen. It’s very sacred. Maybe D’neira thought this would happen, Maybe that’s why she made me sleep alone. Please don’t be afraid Jason. Fear helps nothing.” Erasing his fear he lay passively remembering Quetzal. I have to wake. He looked up at the creature who looked like Serai. Her eyes lit up with relief, and he couldn’t help smiling back. Serai. My wife. '' “Look, I’ll prove it” she said “Remember when Queztal held you captive? There’s always something you can still control in dreams. Things that don’t matter, mostly. Simple things like colors. Maybe you can’t change the color of the light, because it tells you where you are, it has a meaning, but try to change the color of the blanket. You could do that in a dream couldn’t you? He nodded, silently. An empirical test to prove reality. Very scientific. She reached out and touched the spot of greenish light which filtered down through the skylight from the orange sky onto on the white cotton blanket which covered them. “I could have dyed this blanket any color. It wouldn’t matter in a dream. You can’t change it, can you? If you dreamed of me, what color would my blanket be?” '' In a dream, she shines with rainbow light and the blanket would be rainbow colored Jason closed his eyes and saw her clothed in rainbows, bathed in rainbow colored light. He opened his eyes, and she was still beside him, warm and soft and clothed only his white temple blanket. It was white. I have never seen her in a dream without rainbows. and the blanket stayed white. And she was holding him in her arms, very real, as he cried. 6 engagement reaction upon wakening Engagement Feb 2010 updated version. Realization dawned, increasing his terror: He was awake. She ''was awake in his bed in his arms in his still-locked room in the still-locked not true, fix thistemple halfway across town from where she went to sleep. '' Not possible. '' He sat up and pulled away staring at her, unbelieving, but suddenly certain. He was awake. This was as real as... …or maybe nothing was real. Maybe waking had always been just a dream… She looked lovingly into his startled eyes “What’s wrong, love?” “No.” he wrapped his arms around himself, feeling to see if he was still solid.”this can’t be real” He looked down at his own body, the soft white blanket –woven by Serai-- wrapped tightly around him. Then looked at his wife beside him beautiful, naked and unafraid, but deeply concerned for him. His voice was a thin shaky whisper. “I’m awake. This is real, but that’s not possible. Not right. I’m sorry! Where did I go wrong?” Thought and feeling converged into a grey horror of disorientation; trusting nothing, knowing nothing, believing nothing except that everything he had previously believed had suddenly been ripped away and reality had no more existence. She smiled sweetly, touched his face with the warm soft palm of her hand. She was beautiful. So very beautiful. ''My wife. Why would I want reality? She spoke. “You all tangled up in thoughts for no purpose, sweetheart. It doesn’t matter how. Destiny finds its way. It is right, and real. You are my destiny. We belong together.” Passion owned him and all else faded for a moment. He wrapped his arms around her. “Serai, I love you I want you. You are my wife.” Then as the scent and feel of her filled his senses, undeniable, unbelievable and the balance shifted back towards confusion and terror. He sat up and wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, turning away. “ No, this can’t be real”. He shook his head to shake away dreams that were not dreams, things that were solidly real yet couldn’t possibly be. He squeezed his eyes tight shut as if that would somehow help him put dreams and realities back where they belonged, but it didn’t, nor did it hold back the tears. “This isn’t right, We aren’t married. I know that part was a dream. We only met 2 days ago. We hardly know each other. We shouldn’t be …here….together…. like… this… The temple was locked. You slept at home. Because we’re not married.” *[mixed pov, should it be sorted, or left as if they are one mind? '' Okay Jason, one reality at a time''. “Stop. Relax.” Serai grabbed his shoulders and forcefully laid him down, lying across his chest so he couldn’t pull away, looking down lovingly into his confused ice blue eyes, smiling slightly, holding his face gently but firmly between her hands so he couldn’t turn away. He gave up struggling, both in mind and body. Immobilized on his back like a swaddled child, bound by the blanket around him and the weight of her body he lay motionless, silent, devoid of thought, staring passively into her eyes, seeing her, feeling her presence, her warmth, listening numbly to the music of her voice. Reality had never really mattered and there was nothing wrong. She was all that ever mattered and he was with her now, bound to her, part of her and he no longer faced a choice. They had become one. She watched silent as the color return to his eyes, felt his heartbeat begin to gradually slow. Jason smiled slightly “How did you get here, Serai?” She glanced up at the skylight “Maybe I broke in because I couldn’t stand to be apart from you.” “The temple was locked.” “Maybe I have a key. Maybe there’s a secret passage. Maybe you let me in because you couldn’t stand to be without me and you don’t remember. Maybe Chathalen or D’neira let me in.” “it’s locked by the light of Aissis rising and can’t be opened by anyone till the setting. Chathalen told me.” “Maybe Harris picked the lock for me --you know he could.” “Maybe” “See --Even in your reality, this is not impossible. Stop being silly; there’s nothing wrong.” “That’s not what happened, Serai. I know that isn’t what happened.” She grinned victorious. “True. You know in the same way that you know this is real and right and we are one. You want me here, in reality, in waking. So I am. It’s good. It’s right. You called me and I came. You’ve chosen. I am your wife.” Serai unpinned him, unwrapped his swaddling clothes so she could wrap him in her arms, skin to skin, heartbeat to quickening heartbeat, breath to breath snuggling close to him under the white blanket. “That part really WAS a dream, Serai. We were on Earth, with my parents. With my mom. She can’t share dreams even with someone holding her.” “The earth was a dream, and your parents. But who officiated at our wedding?” Jason laughed “Quetz’l.” It had seemed perfectly natural at the time. “Is Quetz’l real?’ “Yes.” “Who is he?” “An evil Dream-creature who likes to torture people.” Serai laughed “No, I mean why would he officiate at dream marriages?” “Because he likes to impersonate people?” he asked doubtfully, laughing. She replied, all seriousness “You don’t know who he is, do you? Quetzal rules this dream plane. A marriage performed by Quetzal in a dream is as real as any marriage, anywhere. If we were married in D’zeron or on Earth, we’d still be married on the dream plane, right?” “But in D’zeron, we’re still not married right? There were no witnesses” “I know you didn’t know Rae was really there, even I don’t know how that was possible. But Tersh brought Harris and Chathalen and D’neira. Didn’t you see them?” “In the dream. Yes” he smiled quizzically “Are you saying they were really there?” “Rae told me in the evening that you didn’t understand she was really there.” “Rae was real ? How can that be? I wish I had known, She could have given me news from HomeWorld.” Serai smiled, moving closer “She said we will have a daughter, but we will visit her on HomeWorld first. You are my husband, Jason. I will bear your children.” He felt defeated; a peaceful, warm defeat that resulted from losing a battle he never wanted to win. If life with her felt this good, there was no better destiny. Abandoning himself to her, choice didn’t matter, reality didn’t matter, ceremony didn’t matter. He knew without question Serai was his wife in every world, every universe. Nothing else mattered. [She should actually explain how she got there, once he calms down, and what the implications are, I terms of her becoming a dream keeper, or the two of them together becoming dreamkeeper, the way many years ago Husbands and wives served as dream keepers. Chathalen would try to defeat the barrier by this same method, but it would not work. I’m not sure how he would feel about Serai becoming a dream keeper. Perhaps he is happy because he feels it frees him to leave? or because he thinks she, being his age, willing be more willing to help him than D’neira. 7 dreemkeepers 91x1 dreamkeepers “What will happen to us at the meeting this morning?” He asked “As soon as we leave this room Chathalen and Harris and D’neira will be waiting. they will all Laugh at us for taking so long, because they are happy that we are happy, ad relieved that we are finally together. “Isn’t it shameful for us to…you know…”.He blushed. “We haven’t done anything wrong.” The weaver reassured him. “But D’neira told us we couldn’t sleep together because I did not publicly declare our marriage at the meeting.” said Jason. “That was for you, Jason, not for the village. In the eyes of the village you married me the first time you called my name not knowing I existed. D’neira wanted you to feel sure. She knows It’s very important to start a marriage with no reservations. She wanted to make sure our marriage was the best we could possibly be. Even though you choose not to be recognized at the village meeting, we have publicly committed to marriage twice now according to village law. Once over the body of a dead wildcat with an audience of hunters, and now also with Quetzal, by your free and knowing choice with all the kinsman either of us has in this village witnessing. Everyone knows. The village is waiting to receive you this morning. They are having a festival to celebrate our union already. It happens this way more often than not.” She gazed down at him, and sat up. “Not'' all'' the time.” She added “Some wait for the public declaration. Some wait longer if the wife is too young to safely bare children. I married my first husband with a public declaration, but it didn’t make us one. You are the only man to really take me as his wife, the first to really be my husband.” He smiled up at her, touching her face with his palm in imitation of the way she often touched his. “I waited for you, Serai. I Just didn’t understand what I was waiting for.” “It is considered more honorable to have a public declaration first. Chathalen and Allissa will declare their marriage in the meeting first. He is very careful with the public customs because he’s an alien, and feels he must follow every detail of every custom to be accepted. But they won’t wait until she’s old enough to have children safely. They’re both too impulsive and He’s waited long enough. He won’t wait any longer than honor requires. Allissa does not care at all for custom. Once Allissa sets her mind on something, she doesn’t wait for anything. That’s why Chathalen became the dream keeper alone instead of with her, and why she cast a barrier against him. But she will respect Chathalen’s choice, and declare their marriage because she loves him. “I’m an alien, Serai. Much more than Chathalen.” “you are” She grinned, lovingly exploring his alien features with her fingertips; blond hair and fair skin, his pale grey eyes, and the short reddish beard growing on his chin. “You are such a beautiful alien, Jason Scott-Harris. I love you. I never imagined a man could exist as beautiful as you. We do not require you to follow our customs. You have not grown up with us. You will always be fully honorable in your sincere desire to do what is right.” She ran her fingers down the stitched cut on the left side of his face. She looked at him searchingly. He was calm and smiling, listening to her explanations. “Are you ok now?” she asked, concern still apparent in her voice. “Yes, magical butterfly, I’m finally okay.” He nodded, smiling more brightly, pushing brown curls away from her eyes. “I’m sorry Serai. You’re right. Of course you’re right. You were always right. It doesn’t matter how it happened. And you’re right; I think too much. I panic when things don’t seem to make sense. ” “I know you do honey, and it’s ok. I love you just the way you are.” She kissed him lovingly, brown curls forming a curtain around their faces, then leaned away to look into his eyes again. “How did you get here?” He asked “I don’t know Exactly how I got here. I went to sleep missing you, You called to me through dreams, and I came to you. It was like the dream with Kitten, but that was only possible because we were touching as we slept. This was different.” been trained in dreaming but not trained to be a dream keeper. how much would she know about dream travel? Allissa might have shared things also, since Allissa couldn’t keep secrets. but for that reason Allissa might not have known either There is something I do know, Jason, which you need to know, about how I got here, and what will happen at the meeting. “What’s that?” “The real reason D’neira Isolated you in the temple after you were already healed, rather than sending you home with your father Tersh or your mentor Perry: Because She does not want to depend on Chathalen and Allissa to carry on the line of dream keepers.” He looked confused. “long ago, when there were more of the dreemkeeper linage In D’zeron, the dream keeper did not serve alone. Husbands and wives garden the portal together.” “what does that have to do with you being here?” “this was the test. to prove they had sufficant skill to become dreamkeepers, the had to prove themselves by calling eachother into the locked temple at night, exactly as we have done.” “I’m a dreemkeeper? I don’t understand even what a dreamkeeper is or does, and I’m planning to return to Paragangia, and to live with you at your farm. we can’t live in the temple like Chathalen ad D’neira.” “She doesn’t need us for that. Only for linage. Our children will be trained to become dream keepers. We have begun a new line of dreamkeepers. This is a great gift to D’zeron.” “But I have to go home, Serai” “We’ll go home. But we’ll be back soon enough. D’zeron needs us more than Paragangia.” “Harris would not agree.” “Harris will find his own destiny. He’ll be fine. 8 engagement, old-- desmonds ring 91x2 engagement. She laid back down, wrapped him in her arms. “You took me to your world, and Rae visited us there. Quetzal married us. When I awoke I was here, in your arms, making love with you. It was perfect. You are perfect for me, and I for you. I love you, Jason Scott-Harris, and your family and your world; I’ll go there with you, with Joy.” “I know you will. Seeing it through your eyes made me value thins I’ve always taken for granted. but I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here with you” He leaned up on his elbow and looked down at her, smiling “This is all still so confusing, I’ve never thought about being married. You took me entirely by surprise. Serai” He kissed her lightly, continuing “it was a very nice surprise. Thank you.” He kissed her lightly again, several times and she giggled. “I still want to do it right, though” He said, sitting up suddenly. “The rituals of our native worlds still hold our hearts even when we know their limitations. There’s something I still need to do. Let’s get dressed now, ok?” She agreed, then realized she had brought no clothing. Jason’s climbing clothes were too small, but the robe she had made for Chathalen could fit her, though a little shorter and tighter on her than on Jason. “In my world, can’t marry you if I haven’t proposed, and I have to give you a ring.” Jason explained as he twisted the gold band off his index finger.*** which she had admired earlier add that part when they meet, because it got taken out*** “It ought to be a diamond ring, but I can’t buy you a diamond ring because there are no diamonds and no gold here” he said “But this will do for now. It belonged to my father, Desmond Harris. He died before I was born and Rae gave it to me when I went to HomeWorld, so it’s a special family ring.” *** make up a story about when and why*** She looked admiringly at the ring in his hand “I’d never seen any ring before this one,” ****add back in the part about her asking about the ring when she first sees him, and perhaps again later on their “date”] . “I’ve never seen any other ring. It’s beautiful.” She touched it cautiously, as if she thought it might burn, or sting. “It feels very strange. What is it made if?” “Gold, I think. It looks like gold” He began, “but I don’t really know” She lived in a culture that had no metal, and no advanced technology. She probably knew even less of the strange technologies that existed on HomeWorld and Paragangia. “I’ll teach you all about it tonight” he added, smiling in anticipation of dreaming with her again. He knelt before her “Serai, my butterfly girl, weaver of D’zeron, will you marry me?” Remembering the custom from the dream, she answered simply “Yes, I will” leaned down and kissed him, and held out her left hand hand. He put the ring on her finger and it fit perfectly, seemed to become part of her, connecting her to her husband and his father in a way she didn’t understand. It made her feel safe and protected and loved. *** she felt a weird tingling but doesn’t have any reason to suspect that it is connecting to her nervous system. it connects to her as it never connected to Jason because she reaches out for the connection with his father. He never did that. the ring will then occasionally counsel her in some way. she will feel the same thing from the name badge, but won’t know of it’s significance until she goes to the Marrion Jay and gets and external link. *** He rose, held her in his arms and asked her in the D’zeron way also, she happily agrees again, they kiss,( tell this more vividly from her perspective?) and they finally emerged from the Temple to celebrate their marriage with the village. 8 letters home ***** ******** ************ “Jonathan should be proud to see that you’ve followed in his footsteps, marring a dreamkeeper” teased Harris, and suddenly Jason grew pale and quiet again “What’s the matter, Jason?” “I got married without even telling my mother, let alone inviting her. That’s terrible. Seeing their children married is really important to American mothers” They all laughed, and D’neira asked him “Would she have come this morning if you invited her?” “No” “Would you have waited until she could come?” Jason looked at his new wife, smiling sweetly back at him. Seductive; perfect; a dream come to life, literally. How long would it take? could Rae have brought her in the Living stone Air car? maybe... “No, no, of course I wouldn’t have waited. We waited long enough” He shook his head, characteristically trying to shake away confusion “But...” “Let’s send your mother and Jonathan a message,” suggested D’neira “Then we can go on with our lives.” So they did. Hidden within one of the taller towers of the temple, down (and more often up) twisting maze like corridors, D’neira had a visual messaging system similar to the one Jason used at the Anthropology depsrtment at KSU. *explain what the temple is like in slight more detail, and explain why she has that type of messageing technology, where she got it and when. ** Sarai and Chathalen had no Idea that D’zeron had this communication technology in the temple, only D’neira knows about it, though Chathalen would soon have learned anyhow. **show their amazement at t experianceing this technology for the first time. when they arrived, also there would be a message from Sen’tran, telling them that the Marrion jay would be leaving soon and that they must choose whether to return or to remain in D’zeron until the Marrion jay returned, And Sen’tran also congratulates Jason on his marriage, Jason asks how could he have known? and Harris says it doesn’t take the oldest a prophet of Paragangia to know what is obvious and inevitable. *put this into detailed dialogue** Harris tells Sen’tran to pick him up befor he leaves. (**so after this day they will be making plans for his depart the next week or so, before the Marrion Jay leaves) They all recorded a video for Gloria and Jonathan, explaining the basics of everything that was happening and introducing everyone, (**** tell their whole message here, it would make a good summary of the significant events of the book) Jason remembered to add a message for jonathan to convey to his teaching assistant, Matthias, and they send it off, back to Jai-ten’s communication center, from whence it would be relayed though various ships and jump gates back to the earth with the address so his family and friends could respond when they got it in a few days if they wanted to. **** ( perhaps add a description of why and how this communication system works,) Now that Jason has recovered and Harris has plans to return home, Harris feels increasing urgancy to act on his returning memories. He is now better able to deal with them, and they no longer overwhelm him. He needs to get Jason to believe the message from Desmond, --now, before he leaves—and realizes that Jason’s marriage could be both a threat to that, because he will have less chance to spend time with Jason. and an opportunity, because if He can give the message to Serai, she will make Jason hear it. Jason listens to her. If anyone can convince Jason to face his destiny it is Serai. Harris has agreed to stay in D’zeron a little longer (a week or so) for this reason, rather than arranging to return to jai-ten, even though D’neira is willing to allow a taxi-ship to meet him outside the villageat far hill as soon as he is ready to leave 9 10 11 9 festival and calling as dreamkeepers 61 festival and calling as dream keepers. Jason and Serai come out of Jason’s room. the town is indeed celebrating their union. Chathalen and Harris were waiting for them, and teased them about taking so long to come out of the room in the morning. (write that in dialogue) their friends serve them breakfast, and bring clothes for Serai,--something she didn’t make, something that belonged to SH’harra and is very fancy and pretty-- and they Bathe at the temple healing clinic, and then they go out to officially announce their union to the village. They all probably give Jason advice and discuss his plans and such. There is a traditional speech/ritual of what fathers tell their sons, and Chathalen presents it, figuring he is the closest to a father Jason has here, having taken care of him. He might make a comment about being a father younger than his son, since Chathalen is slightly younger than Jason Tersh should present this speach, but he doesn’t come to the meeting ***** ************* ******* A meeting is called Jason and Serai are presented to D’zeron as the village celebrates their marriage. Serai is also called and presented as a dream keeper because she has dream traveled and this makes her qualified to do it. Stories are shared at this meeting stating the precedents of other dreamkeepers who have experienced Dream travel, and who were married and served as dream keepers. This calling does not require them to lead the village, but it frees them to do more dreaming together than they could otherwise, thus facilitating Jason’s research, and it makes it possible for their children to be called as dream-keepers, because they will now have dreamkeeper lineage, though Serai was not born with dreamkeeper lineage. she is not called to lead the village, only to receive dream keeper training, It is agreed that Serai will bring Jason to the appointed place to receive authority that night. (then they go home to her house ch 62.) (and they ascend, ch 63? not sure when wind walking and visiting Allissa comes up relative to this. the conversation about wind walking should be right after his ascention when he realizes it is something entirely different.